The Foreign Service Journal, June 2023

24 JUNE 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL U.S.-AFRICA LEADERS SUMMIT ELEVATING THE PARTNERSHIP WITH AFRICA A diplomat with more than 23 years of service to the United States, Dana Banks has most recently served as special assistant to the president, special adviser for the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, and senior director for Africa at the National Security Council, where she was responsible for coordinating and leading U.S.-Africa policy for the Biden-Harris administration from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that, she was deputy director of the Foreign Service Institute’s Leadership and Management School’s Division of Executive Development. She has also served in Thailand, Haiti, South Africa, Tanzania, and in Togo as deputy chief of mission. In Washington, she has served as a senior watch officer in the Operations Center, as special assistant to the assis- tant secretary of State for Africa, and as a desk officer in the Office of West African Affairs. In a robust gathering of U.S. and African leaders from the government, private sector, and civil society, the emphasis was on advancing priorities through effective partnerships. BY DANA BANKS A t the second-ever U.S.-Africa Lead- ers Summit in Washington, D.C. (Dec. 13-15, 2022), President Joseph R. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and more than 20 Cabinet members, heads of U.S. government agencies, and members of Congress engaged with delegations from 49 African countries plus the African Union, alongside members of civil society, the private sector, and the African diaspora. ON U.S. & AFRICA: TOWARD PARTNERSHIPS FOCUS Africa has one of the world’s fastest-growing populations, largest free trade areas, most diverse ecosystems, and one of the largest regional voting blocs in the United Nations. By 2050 Africa will be home to one quarter of the world’s population. The continent hosts vast natural resources, including the world’s second-largest rainforest and 30 percent of the critical minerals needed globally. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), once fully implemented, will be the fifth-largest economy in the world, with a potential combined GDP of more than $3.4 trillion. More- over, the dynamism, innovation, and economic growth being spurred by youth across the African continent is noteworthy; it translated into African startups attracting $5 billion in invest- ment in 2021, even in the midst of a global pandemic. Thus, as the “U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa” states: “It is impossible to meet this era’s defining challenges without African contributions and leadership.” This is the framework I worked with in etching out the vision for the strategy at the National Security Council and, subsequently, as I led the organization and coordination of the summit. The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit cell coordinated with robust interagency teams of talented, dedicated colleagues in crafting an event with the overarching goal to deepen our partnership with African coun- tries, institutions, and peoples. One of the most vital aspects of our Foreign Service tra- decraft is building relationships, which ultimately result in